Such structures are known in the art, and typical prior art patents are the following:
Can Pat. No. 176,450, Apr. 17, 1917 - James Swartz
Can Pat. No. 823,874, Sept. 30, 1969 - Hugh A. Johnson, Sr.
Can Pat. No. 971,363, July 22, 1975 - Richard A. Carlyon, Jr.
Can Pat. No. 1,017,146, Sept. 13,1977 - Tatemoto Hitoshi, et al
Can Pat. No. 1,107,069, Aug. 18, 1981 - Maria Schmidt
U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,196, Nov. 13, 1962 - Edward E. Pauer
U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,922, Nov. 29, 1977 - Joseph A. DiGiscinto
U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,847, Aug. 26, 1980 - Frank W. Leroux
U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,666, Feb. 17, 1981 - Roy R. Rakestraw
U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,994, May 26, 1981 -Urai Muneharu
U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,296, Oct. 20, 1981 - Michael H. Kinghorn
U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,843, Dec. 13, 1983 - High A. Johnson, Sr.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,454,684, June 19, 1984 - Louis R. O'Hare
While the above patents disclose constructions in which plants are grown in a tiered or upright support, many of the disclosed constructions are not suitable for home use. Further, they do not lend themselves to easy transportation and due to their particular features of construction, are expensive to construct.
There is a requirement for a cheap, economical planter that can grow plants, especially indoor plants, in a vertical orientation so that an attractive and practical construction results that is affordable and easy for a lay person to use.
There further is a requirement for a construction that can be sold as a kit and assembled by the ultimate user. It is therefore the purpose of the present invention to provide an apparatus for hydroponic cultivation that can be cheaply manufactured from readily available materials, easily assembled and effectively used in the home or in a commercial environment.